Lt-Col Davies, who was in Canada on a temporary posting, has been bailed to appear in court on September 15, after he was charged on Tuesday.

Police collected evidence from the scene, and Lt-Col Davies was formally charged following the results of forensic tests.

Davies, who is thought to be married, was released but has been ordered to surrender his passport and is barred from leaving Ontario.

In 2014 he led the now disbanded 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment on a nine-month-long tour of Afghanistan, during which one of the men under his command, Sergeant Major Ian Fisher, was killed by a suicide bomber.

Lt-Col Davies was on a three-year secondment as a Canadian Staff College instructor when the assault is alleged to have taken place.

Constable Steve Koopman, of Kingston Police, told The Sun: “A British Lieutenant Colonel who was temporarily posted to Kingston has been charged with sexual assault in relation to a female victim who is an officer with the Canadian military.

“On August 2 the accused attended police headquarters and was arrested by detectives for one count of sexual assault.”

A spokesman for the Army said: "We are aware of an investigation being conducted by Kingston Police into an alleged incident that took place in April this year involving a serving British Army officer.

"As the case is sub judice it would be inappropriate to make any comment."